Roger Federer might not be in the squad anymore to compete at the Laver Cup. But the 20-time slam king and former World No.1 arrived fashionably on time in San Francisco for the eighth edition. What began in 2017 as an ambitious project has now flourished into a fan-favorite annual extravaganza, with sell-out matches. While it’s hard to believe but Federer and his TEAM8 CEO Tony Godsick came up with the team event’s idea during a car ride in Shanghai. That was more than eight years ago. But the tennis GOAT knows this journey wouldn’t have been possible without the support of several notable icons.

The Laver Cup is already underway inside the Chase Center, and Federer already made some crucial admissions hours before the event’s commencement. First and foremost, he extended a big thanks to Bjorn Borg and 7-time slam winner John McEnroe. Reason? These two played a pivotal role in driving engagement and passion for the event for seven years. From 2017 to 2024, Bjorg and McEnroe were the captains of Team Europe and Team World, respectively. They played a big part across multiple campaigns, managing their squads in the best way possible.

Reflecting the sentiments on how the Laver Cup is attracting huge crowds, Federer confessed, “It’s phenomenal that here, in San Francisco, we have almost 19,000 capacity and that we sell out all five sessions. I didn’t expect it, so I am very grateful to the whole team, especially to John McEnroe and Björn Borg, who helped us at a time when no one really knew what the Laver Cup was going to be.”

But that’s not it. The former world no.1 then went on to make a bold prediction. Being an ex-Team Europe player, he is probably biased. However, Federer had a clear name in mind for this year’s winner. “I believe that Europe probably has a stronger team. I think doubles won’t be as crucial this time because I believe both teams are more or less equally strong in doubles, so everything will be decided in the singles matches,” as reported by Punto de Break on September 19.

Highlighting the role of six-time slam winner Carlos Alcaraz for Team Europe, he added, “Obviously, that’s where I think, with Carlos Alcaraz on the team, already in San Francisco and ready to compete, I give Europe the advantage to once again take the title,”

While the buzz is strong for the Laver Cup this weekend, Federer’s return to the court seems all the more possible. Why? After his retirement, hardcore fans yearn to see him wield the racket once more. In fact, the Laver Cup chairman himself wants it. Add to that, a twist featuring Federer’s iconic rival.

Is Roger Federer making a tennis comeback with Rafael Nadal?

Ever since TEAM8 CEO and Laver Cup chairman Tony Godsick revealed his wish, there has been increasing chatter about some sort of an exhibition match featuring Federer and longtime foe turned friend, Rafa. Prior to the 2025 Laver Cup, Godsick fuelled rumor mills, saying, “I’ve been pressuring him (Federer) a little bit, saying, ‘Come on, people want to see you play again. You can play a couple senior things,’” as reported by the Tennis Channel on September 20. For the uninitiated, Godsick has been working with the former ATP icon since 2005.

The next words from Godsick were enough to cause a frenzy among tennis enthusiasts. “We’ve been talking with Rafa a little bit about putting together a tour together. So, Roger just wanted to make sure that his knee was fine. He didn’t want to be totally broken after his career, so he gave it a little bit of time.” Seems like Federer has been solely focused on getting himself back to shape, “He’s not there yet but he’s in the gym a lot. I think Rafa’s interested, I don’t want to speak for Rafa. But it would be great to see these guys out there.” But that’s not all. There’s more.

Godsick also mentioned that “there’s a lot of other guys of their generation that I think would be willing to play too. Some of the biggest names are these guys who just retired, so we can probably fill some nice stadiums and venues.” The last time fans witnessed Roger Federer and Nadal together was during the 2022 Laver Cup when they competed for Team Europe, which was infamously the last tournament Federer played before bidding adieu to his tennis career.

Recently, Federer’s honest admission further cemented the possibility of a spectacle – seeing the duo smash some balls across the court. “I love Rafa! I played four hours of tennis the other day here in San Francisco and in LA for another hour and half,” he told in a CNBC interview. “I know that Rafa is also totally open to maybe play some tennis. It sounds terrible, seniors tennis, to us, but maybe we can create a tour, like a ‘Fedal Tour’ or something like that. It would be cool.”

The ‘Fedal’ tour idea is not so much feral now, is it? How excited will you be if this idea turns into fruition? Let us know in the comments below.